Health Facts

For a Healthy Weight, Find Your Balance Between Food and Physical
Activity

Staying ator getting toa healthy weight may help you
in several ways. Not only will it help you feel better and look better,
but research shows it plays an important role in reducing the risk
of several types of chronic disease.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Determine what a healthy weight is for you.
Use the Adult Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart on the next page to help
you determine if you are underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight,
or obese. Locate your height in the left-most column and read across
the row for your height to your weight. Follow the column of the weight
up to the top row that lists the BMI. BMI of less than 19 is underweight,
BMI of 19 through 24 is the healthy weight range, BMI of 25 through
29 is the overweight range, and BMI of 30 and above is the obese range.

For those who are overweight or obese, modest weight loss (e.g.,
10 pounds) has health benefits, and the prevention of further weight
gain is very important. Eating fewer calories while increasing physical
activity are the keys to controlling body weight.

Many Americans need to eat fewer calories, be more active, and
make wiser food choices.Eat fewer calories. Calories countand they come from
both food and beverages. There is a right number of calories for you
to eat. You can estimate your number on the Estimated Calories Needed
table on the next page.

Be more active. Eating fewer calories, of course, is just
one side of the equation. Caloric expenditure needs to be in balance
with caloric intake to maintain body weight. That means the calories
burned" during physical activity (in addition to activities
of daily living) need to be the same as the calories taken in as food
and beverages. All adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity physical activity, above usual activity, on most
days of the week. However, to prevent weight gain, you may need up
to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity activity on most days
of the week, while not eating more calories than you require. To keep
off lost weight, you may need as much as 60 to 90 minutes of moderately-intense
physical activity a day while not eating too much.

Make wiser food choices. Remember, it is always important
to eat foods that are high in nutrients for the amount of calories
they contain, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat
or fat-free dairy products. Using the food label on packaged foods
can help you make healthier food choices. And don't forget to
watch your portion size. Controlling portion size helps limit calorie
intake, especially when eating foods that are high in calories.

It's easier to maintain than to lose weight. Since many adults gain weight slowly as they age, small decreases
in calorie intake can help, especially when accompanied by increased
physical activity. For most adults, a reduction of 50 to 100 calories
a day may prevent gradual weight gain.

Consider this If you eat 100 more calories a day than
you burn, you'll gain about 1 pound in a month. That's nearly
10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is that to lose weight, it's
important to eat less and move more. Think about your daily eating
habits: Could you leave the jelly or butter off your morning toast?
Switch to an artificial sweetener in your coffee? Use less salad dressing?

People who need to lose weight should aim for slow, steady weight
loss by eating less and moving more. For overweight or obese adults, it's beneficial even to lose
a small amount of weight, and it's important not to gain more
weight. If you need to lose weight, a reduction in 500 calories or
more each day from added sugar, saturated and trans fats, and alcohol
is a good strategy to lose weight. Diets that provide very low or
very high amounts of protein, carbohydrates, or fat are likely to
be deficient in important nutrients.

Adult BMI Chart

Height

BMI 19-24
Healthy Weight (in pounds)

BMI 25-29
Overweight (in pounds)

BMI 30-35
Obese (in pounds)

4'10"

91-115

119-138

143-167

4'11"

94-119

124-143

148-173

5'

97-123

128-148

153-179

5'1"

100-127

132-153

158-185

5'2"

104-131

136-158

164-191

5'3"

107-135

141-163

169-197

5'4"

110-140

145-169

174-204

5'5"

114-144

150-174

180-210

5'6"

118-148

155-179

186-216

5'7"

121-153

159-185

191-223

5'8"

125-158

164-190

197-230

5'9"

128-162

169-196

203-236

5'10"

132-167

174-202

209-243

5'11"

136-172

173-208

215-250

6'

140-177

184-213

221-258

6'1"

144-182

189-219

227-265

6'2"

148-186

194-225

233-272

6'3"

152-192

200-232

240-279

Source: Evidence Report of Clinical Guidelines
on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity
in Adults, 1998. NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

aThese
levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) Dietary Reference Intakes macronutrients
report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for
reference-sized individuals. "Reference size," as determined
by IOM, is based on median height and weight for ages up to age
18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to
give a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.5 for adult females and 22.5
for adult males.bSedentary means a lifestyle that includes
only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day
life.cModerately active means a lifestyle
that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5
to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the
light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.dActive means a lifestyle that includes
physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per
day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical
activity associated with typical day-to-day life.eThe calorie ranges shown are to accommodate
needs of different ages within the group. For children and adolescents,
more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories
are needed at older ages.